SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has confirmed that it has ‘no connection’ with Birmingham City FC’s new betting partner GOD55.
The regulator’s statement comes after a joint investigation by iGaming Expert and Insider Sport, which found that GOD55 is not MGA licensed despite its claims to be so.
GOD55 signed a sponsorship deal with Birmingham City earlier this month, the latest in a series of Asia-focused betting partnerships signed by English football clubs.
In a statement, the MGA explained that it is ‘hereby declaring that it has no connection’ with 17 different domains for the GO55 brand.
Many of the links pointed to by the MGA cannot be accessed from the UK, though some that can describe the company as the ‘most trusted casino’ in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
IGX and Insider Sport reached out to Birmingham City for comment, but so far have received no response.
A bad look for Birmingham and English football
As stated above, the sponsorship between GOD55 and Birmingham City was the latest in a series of similar deals seen throughout English football – although unsurprisingly, most of these have been seen in the Premier League.
Various clubs have an Asian betting sponsor, with clubs keen to maximise betting revenue ahead of the Premier League’s front-of-shirt betting sponsorship ban coming into effect during the 2026/27 season.
Birmingham City have been on a roll lately, however. The Blues are looking set to win League One this year, and a minority stake held by NFL legend Tom Brady has galvanised more commercial interest in the club and its prospects.
This has likely made it a more attractive marketing proposition for the likes of GOD55. Although most of the Asian betting firms that partner with English clubs are not active in the UK, the international audience and draw of the Premier League make these partnerships valuable in Asian markets nonetheless.
Notable Premier League partnerships include DE.BET and Wolverhampton Wanderers, BC.GAME and Leicester City, and Kaiyun Sports with both Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace.
These deals have already faced some controversy, with all being hit with social media backlash from supporters to varying extents.
In other cases, this has extended to regulatory action, with the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) cautioning Forest and Palace over the continuing partnership with Kaiyun Sports after the firm’s white label licence via Isle of Man-based TGP Europe expired.
The investigation and regulatory statements over GOD55 coming so soon after its deal with Birmingham City will cast an even longer shadow over these partnerships, and the impact may be felt by fully licensed, active UK firms seeking visibility in English football as well.
